2010 MERCEDES-BENZ CL CLASS automatic transmission

Stopping
G
Warning!
The braking effect of the DISTRONIC PLUS is
canceled and the vehicle can start to roll if
R the DISTRONIC PLUS is switched off using
the DISTRONIC PLUS lever
R you accelerate
R the DISTRONIC PLUS system or the power
supply is
malfunctioning, e.g. due to battery
failure
R the electrical components in the engine
compartment or the fuses have been
manipulated
R the battery is disconnected G
Warning!
Never get out of the vehicle while the
DISTRONIC PLUS is switched on!
The DISTRONIC

PLUS must never be operated
or switched off by passengers or from outside
the vehicle.
The DISTRONIC PLUS is not a substitute for
the electronic parking brake. It must not be
used to secure the vehicle when parking.
When you get out of the vehicle or switch off
the engine, deactivate the DISTRONIC PLUS
and secure the vehicle from rolling away by
engaging the electronic parking brake.
When the DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the
preceding vehicle is stopping, the vehicle
brakes until it also stops. Once the vehicle is
at a standstill, it remains stationary, without
depressing the brake pedal.
After a short while, the vehicle is secured in
place by the electronic parking brake so that
the operating brake can be relieved of load.
Depending on the following distance set
using the distance setting switch on the
DISTRONIC PLUS lever (Y page 313), the
vehicle will stop adequate away from the
preceding vehicle.
When the DISTRONIC PLUS is activated and
the vehicle is at a standstill, the automatic transmission shifts into park position
P
automatically when
R opening the

driver’s door and releasing the
seat belt
R turning off the engine
R opening the hood
R a system malfunction occurs
R the on-board voltage is insufficient
The DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Setting the current speed X
Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.
X Briefly lift the DISTRONIC PLUS lever in
direction of arrow : or depress in
direction of arrow ; (Y page 309).
The current speed is set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
i If you do not take your foot off of the
accelerator pedal and continue to
accelerate past

the set speed, the following
message will appear in the multifunction
display:
DISTRONIC PLUS Override
The distance to a slower moving vehicle in
front of you will not be set. Your vehicle
speed will then be determined only by the
accelerator pedal position.
Changing the set speed G
Warning!
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has made the necessary
adjustments.
Increase or

decrease the set vehicle speed to
a value that the prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Otherwise, sudden
and unexpected acceleration or deceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident and/
or serious injury to you and others. Driving systems
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You can increase or decrease the set speed
in 1 mph (Canada:
1 km/h) increments or in
5 mph (Canada:
10 km/h) increments.
When you use the DISTRONIC PLUS lever to
decelerate, the brake system will brake the
vehicle automatically if the engine’s braking
power does not brake the vehicle sufficiently.
Adjustment in 1 mph (Canada:
1 km/h) increments
i The set speed value is increased or
decreased in 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h)
increments each time you lift or press the
DISTRONIC PLUS lever up or down to the
resistance point.
X Increasing: Briefly lift the DISTRONIC
PLUS lever up to the resistance point in
direction of arrow :.
X Decreasing: Briefly press the DISTRONIC
PLUS lever

down to the resistance point in
direction of arrow ;.
X Release the DISTRONIC PLUS lever.
The new speed is set and the vehicle will
accelerate or decelerate.
Adjustment in 5 mph (Canada:
10 km/h) increments
i The set speed value is increased or
decreased in 5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h)
increments each time you lift or press the
DISTRONIC

PLUS lever up or down past the
resistance point.
X Increasing: Briefly lift the DISTRONIC
PLUS lever up past the resistance point in
direction of arrow :.
X Decreasing: Briefly press the DISTRONIC
PLUS lever down past the resistance point
in direction of arrow ;.
X Release the DISTRONIC PLUS lever.
The new speed is set and the vehicle will
accelerate or

decelerate. Keep in mind that
it may take a brief moment until the vehicle
has reached the set speed. Setting stored speed (Resume function) G
Warning!
The set speed stored in memory should only
be set again if prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Possible
acceleration or deceleration differences
arising from returning to the preset speed
could cause

an accident and/or serious injury
to you and others.
X Briefly pull the DISTRONIC PLUS lever in
direction of arrow ? (Y page 309).
The DISTRONIC PLUS is activated and
resumes to the last set speed or, if no
speed is stored, it will set and store the
current speed.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS X
Depress the brake pedal (only possible if
the vehicle is in motion).
or
X Briefly push the DISTRONIC PLUS lever in
direction of arrow = (Y page 309).
The last set speed is stored for later use.
The last stored speed is deleted from memory
when the engine is turned off.
The DISTRONIC PLUS switches off
automatically when
R the vehicle is secured with the electronic
parking brake
R the vehicle speed falls below 15 mph
(25 km/h) and no preceding vehicle is
detected
R the ESC is in operation, or switched off via
the control

system (Y page 212), or the ESC
has switched off due to a malfunction
R you shift the automatic transmission into
park position P, reverse gear R, or neutral
position N while driving 312
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The DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected
the vehicle changing lanes. There will be
insufficient distance to the lane-changing
vehicle.
Narrow vehicles
Because of their narrow profile, the vehicles
traveling near the outer edges of the lane
have not yet been detected by the DISTRONIC
PLUS. There will be insufficient distance to
the preceding vehicles.
Obstacles and stationary vehicles
The DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for
obstacles or stationary vehicles. If, for
example, the vehicle detected in front of you
changes lanes to bypass an obstacle or
stationary vehicle in front of it, the
DISTRONIC PLUS will not brake for the
obstacle or stationary vehicle. Cross-traffic
The DISTRONIC PLUS may inadvertently
detect crossing vehicles. If you switch on the
DISTRONIC PLUS, for example, at a traffic
light with cross traffic, the vehicle may
suddenly start to drive off.
Hill-start assist system
On uphill grades, the hill-start assist system
maintains the pressure in the brake system
for approximately 1 second after you have
released the brake pedal. Therefore, you can
start off smoothly without the vehicle moving
immediately after releasing the brake pedal. G
Warning!
The hill-start assist system is not designed to
function as a parking brake. It does not
prevent the vehicle from moving when parked
on an incline.
Always engage the electronic parking brake
in addition to shifting the automatic
transmission into park position P.
The hill-start assist system is inactive
R when starting off on a level road or downhill
grades
R with the automatic transmission in neutral
position N
R with the electronic parking brake engaged
R if the ESC has switched off due to a
malfunction Driving systems
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HOLD function
The HOLD function can assist you
R when driving off, especially on steep slopes
R when maneuvering on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
Upon depressing the accelerator pedal, the
braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function is deactivated.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function when
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running
R your seat belt is fastened or the driver’s
door is closed
R the electronic parking brake is released
R the hood is closed
R the automatic transmission is in neutral
position N, drive position D, or reverse gear
R
When the automatic transmission is in
reverse gear R, the trunk lid must be
closed.
R the DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
(Y page 312).
Activating HOLD X
Make sure the activation conditions are
met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Continue to depress the brake pedal with
increased pedal pressure until the message
HOLD appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
now release the brake pedal. HOLD function activated
i
The brake pedal does not return to the
rest position completely while the HOLD
function is activated.
i If the HOLD function is not activated when
depressing the brake pedal, wait briefly and
repeat the above steps. G
Warning!
The vehicle’s brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. Therefore,
deactivate the HOLD function, for example,
when the vehicle is pulled through an
automatic car wash or being towed.
Deactivating HOLD The HOLD function is switched off when
R
you depress the accelerator pedal with the
automatic transmission in drive position D
or reverse gear R
R you shift the automatic transmission into
park position P
R you depress the brake pedal fully again
until the message HOLD in the multifunction
display disappears
R you engage the electronic parking brake
R you activate the DISTRONIC PLUS
i After a while, the vehicle will be secured
by the electronic parking brake to relieve
the service brake. 316
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G
Warning!
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
canceled and the vehicle can start to roll if
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal
R the HOLD function or the power supply is
malfunctioning, e.g. due to battery failure
R the electrical components in the engine
compartment or the fuses have been
manipulated
R the battery is disconnected G
Warning!
Never get out of the vehicle while the HOLD
function is activated!
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by passengers or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the
electronic parking brake. It must not be used
to secure the vehicle when parking.
Deactivate the HOLD function when leaving
or parking the vehicle. Use the electronic
parking brake to secure the vehicle.
When the HOLD function is activated, the
automatic transmission shifts into park
position P automatically when
R opening the driver’s door and releasing the
seat belt
R turning off the engine
R opening the hood
R a system malfunction occurs
R the on-board voltage is insufficient
The HOLD function is deactivated. AIRMATIC
Introduction The AIRMATIC lets you select the chassis and
suspension setup. The chassis and suspension setup adjusts the damping
behavior and the ride height for your vehicle.
The AIRMATIC consists of two components.
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
(Y page 317) and the vehicle level control
(Y page 318).
Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS) is
controlled electronically and operates
continuously. It adjusts the damping
characteristics to the current operating and
driving conditions. The damping is adjusted
individually for each wheel. Driving safety and
tire comfort are increased.
The fine tuning of the damping is dependent
on
R your driving style
R road surface conditions
R your personal settings
The selected setting remains stored in
memory even if the SmartKey is removed
from the starter switch. X
Start the engine.
Sporty damping adjustment
The firmer suspension tuning in sport driving
mode provides enhanced road contact.
Select this mode for example, on winding
highways. Driving systems
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Comfort suspension tuning
Vehicle handling in comfort driving mode is
softer. Select this mode when you prefer a
more comfortable driving style.
X
When indicator lamp ; is on: Press
button :.
Indicator lamp ; goes out. The
comfortable chassis
and suspension setup
is selected.
The message ABC Active Body Control
COMFORT appears in the multifunction
display. All-wheel drive (4MATIC)
In vehicles with all-wheel drive (4MATIC),
both axles

are powered at all times when the
vehicle is being operated. The 4MATIC
improves traction in conjunction with the ESC
(Y page 59) and the Electronic Traction
System (ETS/4-ETS) (Y page 60). G
Warning!
If a drive wheel is spinning due to insufficient
traction:
R While driving off, apply as little throttle as
possible.
R While driving, ease up on the accelerator
pedal.
R Adapt your speed and driving style to the
prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The 4MATIC cannot prevent accidents
resulting from excessive speed.
! Do not

tow with one axle raised. Doing so
could damage the transfer case, which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty. All wheels must be on or off the
ground. Observe instructions for towing the
vehicle with all wheels on the ground. !
Only conduct
operational or performance
tests on a two-axle dynamometer. If such
tests are necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. You could
otherwise seriously damage the brake
system and/or the transfer case which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
i In winter operation, the maximum
effectiveness of the 4MATIC is only
achieved with winter tires ( Y page 395) or
snow chains as required. Parktronic system
The Parktronic system is an electronic
parking aid with ultrasonic sensors designed
to assist

the driver during parking maneuvers.
The Parktronic system indicates the relative
distance between the vehicle and an obstacle
visually and audibly.
The Parktronic system is activated
automatically when
R you switch on the ignition
and
R you release the electronic parking brake
or
R you start the engine
and
R shift the automatic transmission into drive
position D, reverse gear R, or neutral
position N
The Parktronic system deactivates at speeds
above approximately 11 mph (18 km/h). At
lower speeds, the Parktronic system
activates again.
The Parktronic system also deactivates when
you shift the automatic transmission into
park position P or engage the electronic
parking brake and turn off the engine.
The Parktronic system monitors the
surroundings of your vehicle with six sensors Driving systems
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signal. If the obstacle is closer than the
minimum distance, the actual distance may
no longer be indicated by the Parktronic
system.
Warning indicators
Visual signals indicate the relative distance
between the sensors and an obstacle.
Front area warning indicators
Rear area warning indicators
Each warning indicator is divided into five
yellow and two red distance segments for left
side
: and right side ; of the vehicle. The
Parktronic system is ready to measure when
the yellow readiness indicators = are
illuminated.
The current transmission position determines
which warning indicator will be activated. Current
transmission
position Warning indicator
D
Front area activated
R
Front and rear area
activated
N
With the electronic
parking brake
engaged: neither
activated
With the electronic
parking brake
released: front and
rear area activated
As your vehicle approaches an object, one or
more distance segments will illuminate,
depending on the distance. When the seventh
distance segment illuminates, you have
reached the minimum distance.
R
Front area: An intermittent acoustic
warning will sound as the first red distance
segment illuminates and a constant
acoustic warning lasting a maximum of
2 seconds will sound for the second red
distance segment. The signal is canceled
when the automatic transmission is shifted
into park position P.
R Rear area: An intermittent acoustic
warning will sound as the first red distance
segment illuminates and a constant
acoustic warning lasting a maximum of
2 seconds will sound for the second red
distance segment. The signal is canceled
when the automatic transmission is shifted
into drive position D or park position P.
Switching the Parktronic system on/
off The Parktronic system switches on
automatically when the ignition is switched
on. Driving systems
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permitted. Do not tamper with, alter, or use
in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
When traveling in Canada in a vehicle not
registered in Canada, you must switch off the
radar sensor system ( Y page 216). Canadian
law does not permit the use of the radar
sensor system for vehicles from outside of
Canada. When you switch off the radar sensor
system, the following functions are
deactivated:
R Park Assist
R BAS PLUS (Y page 57)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 62)
R DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 304)
R Advanced Parking Guidance ( Y page 327)
R Blind Spot Assist (Y page 335)
! The operational function of the Park
Assist can be affected by dirty sensors,
especially at times of snow and ice.
Make sure that the area on the bumpers
around the sensors is free of dirt, ice and/
or slush, otherwise the Park Assist may not
function properly.
For cleaning the driving systems sensors, see
(Y page 406).
! High-frequency sources such as toll
stations, speed measuring systems, etc.
can cause the Park Assist to malfunction.
You can switch off the Park Assist using the
Park Assist button or switch off the radar
sensors with the instrument cluster control
system to prevent possible malfunction.
The Park Assist is an electronic parking aid
with radar sensors that helps you while
parking. It visually and audibly indicates the
relative distance between the vehicle and an
obstacle.
The Park Assist is automatically activated
when the engine is running and the automatic transmission is in drive position D, reverse
gear
R or neutral position N.
The Park Assist deactivates at speeds over
approximately 10 mph (16 km/h). At lower
speeds the Park Assist turns on again.
The Park Assist is also switched off when you
set the automatic transmission into park
position P or switch off the engine.
While the automatic transmission is in neutral
position N, the Park Assist is switched off if
you secure the vehicle in place with the
electronic parking brake.
The Park Assist monitors the surroundings of
your vehicle with four sensors in the front
bumper and two sensors in the rear bumper.
Range of the sensors The sensors of the Park Assist are integrated
in the front and rear bumpers. Make sure that
the bumpers are clear of dirt, ice and slush in
the area of the sensors, as otherwise, the
Park Assist may not function properly, see
(Y page 406). Driving systems
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